JP Michel

In HR and leadership, we spend our days on policies, performance, and perks. But we often miss the most critical foundation: remembering that the people we work with are sacred. This isn't a fluffy concept, it's a strategic one, deeply rooted in many Indigenous teachings. You can carry through HR processes with heart. My purpose in founding Sacred Workplaces was to help employers build cultures that honour this truth. Here’s what that means: 1. "All My Relations" & Interconnectedness. This teaching reminds us that an organization is a living ecosystem. When one person is fired, let go, disciplined, undervalued or burned out, the entire system suffers. Sacred Workplaces helps leaders build cultures where well-being is seen as essential to collective success, not counter to it. 2. Honouring the Unique Gift. Every person has inherent strengths and a unique gift to contribute. Our work helps companies move beyond generic engagement surveys to create systems that truly see their people, nurture their potential, and allow them to offer their best work. 3. You Cannot Pour From an Empty Cup. This is the core of sustainable performance. We guide leaders to move from expecting relentless output to actively protecting their team's capacity. This means encouraging boundaries, modeling rest, and providing real support. A full cup isn't a luxury; it's a prerequisite for innovation and loyalty. 4. Creating Space to Listen. How many great ideas are lost because someone didn't feel safe or confident to share? We help create environments where people are empowered to listen to their intuition, voice their needs, and contribute their ideas without fear. The name "Sacred Workplaces" is a constant reminder of this principle: When we start from the belief that our people are sacred, our approach to leadership, culture, and HR transforms entirely. It stops being about managing resources and starts being about honouring potential. We help HR & leaders build these cultures. If this resonates, I'd love to connect and hear how you're weaving respect and well-being into your organization. Sacred Workplaces #SacredWorkplaces #HR #HumanResources #Leadership #CompanyCulture #EmployeeExperience #DEI #IndigenousWisdom #FutureOfWork #PurposeDriven #BusinessStrategy

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*** Skills-First Approach: Transforming Canada's Workforce for the Future *** I attended the OECD webinar on Skills–based Hiring. It was a part of their launch of the new research report, “Empowering the Workforce in the Context of a Skills-First Approach”. As Canada faces significant skills mismatches and technological disruption, the report argues that adopting a skills-first approach, which prioritizes demonstrated competencies over traditional credentials. I was reflecting on what this means for Canadian Career Development Professionals. Here are a few initial thoughts: > Expand service delivery to include skills identification and signalling support, as the report shows Canadian workers who actively signal their skills on professional platforms can reduce employment gaps, with the probability of skills signalling doubling between 2018 and 2031. Career professionals must help clients identify transferable skills from diverse learning pathways and effectively communicate them through digital platforms, résumés, and networking. > Develop expertise in alternative credential recognition and validation systems, since Canada shows strong potential for expanding its "skills-first talent pool," and employers are increasingly searching for candidates using skills-based criteria rather than degree requirements. Career professionals must understand how micro credentials, digital badges, online certifications, and work-based learning translate into marketable skills employers value. > Addressing equity gaps in skills signalling capacity, career professionals must provide targeted support to help clients without formal qualifications effectively showcase their competencies and access skills-first opportunities. > Integrate sector-specific and demographic considerations into career guidance, recognizing that young Canadian professionals emphasize digital and transversal skills. At the same time, mid-career workers focus on industry expertise, and gender differences persist in skills signalling patterns. Career professionals should tailor their approach based on client age, sector, and demographic characteristics to maximize the effectiveness of skills-first job search strategies. By focusing on demonstrated competencies rather than how skills were acquired, we can expand opportunities for diverse talent while addressing critical skills shortages. Here is the link to the full report: https://lnkd.in/g7wDhjBa #OECD #CareerDevelopment #CDP #SkillsFirst #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureOfWork #LifelongLearning #Microcredentials #LabourMarket  

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In his July 7 message to public servants, the Clerk shared three key words – Focus, Simplify, Accountability.   The message is clear – change is coming.  All programs and teams will be affected one way or another. And yes, this means cuts, reallocations and transformations. So what can you do as a manager, director or DG? Things may seem completely out of your control right now. But you control how you show up, communicate, plan, and lead.  This will absolutely shape how you and your people come through this. You can lead effectively by: ✅ Clarifying your core mandate – what is critical and what can stop. ✅ Clarifying your personal accountabilities and how you can best contribute – and helping those around you do the same. ✅ Having honest conversations with your people and listening to their concerns and ideas. ✅ Pushing for clarity from above, and not wait to lead where you can. ✅ Anticipating how to make transitions, even before decisions are final. ✅ Showing compassion, being patient and communicating often. Uncertainty is when your leadership matters most - to maintain trust, morale and resilience across your team.  Need a hand? Reach out. I can help you build practical plans to get through this. #GoC #PublicService #Leadership #Coaching #WFA #Change #Trust

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Flourish at Work Series: Balance In nature and design, balance is what makes something feel stable, grounded, and whole. Too much weight on one side, and it feels off. Too much symmetry makes it feel rigid. True balance comes from intentional placement, proportion, and flow. The same holds true in organizations. Balance is not about equal distribution of tasks. It’s about ensuring that energy, roles, and perspectives create stability without stifling creativity. It’s knowing when to hold steady and when to shift. Teams that practice balance: -Navigate ambiguity with more calm. -Avoid burnout by distributing effort and responsibility. -Build trust because no one voice or function dominates. In a world where pressure often pushes us to extremes, balance is the quiet yet essential capability that sustains optimal performance. When organizations master balance, they build trust, reduce unhealthy friction, and enable teams to perform with clarity and confidence. This is at the heart of what it means to truly flourish at work: creating environments where balance fuels clarity, resilience, and progress. When balance is present, teams don’t just function—they flourish at work. What does balance look like in your team right now? Stability? Flexibility? Or the right mix of both? #flourish-at-work #creativesuccess #leadership #teamwork #orgcapability #adaptivecapacity www.flourish-at-work.com

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🎙️New TFR Episode: “Learner Personas – How Thinking Like a Marketer Can Transform Learning” 💡When we design for what people think and feel, they engage, apply, and feel like they’re making a difference. I first met Bianca Baumann when we were both presenting at DisruptHR Toronto and saw people leaning in to her talk on this idea of how thinking like a marketer can transform learning. In this episode, Bianca, VP of Learning & Innovation Ardent, Author and Speaker at global conferences, shares how using learner personas can make training more relevant, human, and effective. Why this feels right: ➡️Personas go deeper than job titles ➡️“Am I making a difference?” is the question that great learning answers ➡️Off-the-shelf content often misses the mark — relevance is engaging. Bianca also gives us a sneak peek at her upcoming book: she co-authored with 🌀Mike Taylor: Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro. Episode links in comments

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✨ Four years at LifeLabs Learning! ✨ I'm grateful to have spent the last 4 years as a leadership trainer at LifeLabs Learning, helping people at hundreds of companies grow their leadership skills. In the spirit of one of our core values—#AlwaysBeLearning—I'm kicking off a short series of lessons I’ve learned along the way. Lesson 1: Feedback is a culture, not just a skill. Feedback is one of the most common topics I teach. And while most folks know how important feedback is—and even understand how to give it—many still avoid the conversation altogether. Why? Two patterns come up again and again: (1)There are no clear norms that make feedback feel accessible or welcome. (2)There’s not enough psychological safety, so people fear triggering defensiveness or damaging relationships. What helps: Feedback training shouldn’t just focus on technique. It should start with team conversations—about how people feel about feedback, what their past experiences have been, and what norms they want to set together. A few intentional conversations can build the foundation for a stronger, more open feedback culture. Curious to hear: What’s one norm or practice that’s helped create better feedback where you work?

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In this week's episode of DEI After 5, we dive deep into the critical concepts of psychological safety, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. I discuss the interconnectedness of these elements and their impact on employee experiences. Drawing from recent insights from OHS Canada and my own research, I dive deep into the importance of creating environments where individuals feel valued, seen, and heard. Tune in tomorrow at 5:15p on Substack or where you find your favorite podcasts!

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